Chapter one: The Servant girl's theatrics

 “You will always be mine, Raven.” 

The words echoed in the fabric of my mind as I transitioned from subconsciousness to consciousness. For the past few months, dreams have been all I have of him. 

I opened my eyes and stared morosely at the cream-colored tray ceiling. I felt wry inside, like someone had sapped all the joy in my life.

 I miss Victor dreadfully. 

   It has been six months since Victor returned from his trip, and our conversations have been sparse despite his promise to call every day. Probably busy with conferences and networking. The latter is Victor's strong suit, one of the reasons our company is so successful. 

   With his charming and witty personality, Victor could convince a mental worker to buy sand. 

 It is a good thing he is coming back today. I don't know how long I can go without him, especially with...

I rub my belly, feeling a spark of joy at what is growing inside me. 

Victor and I's baby. 

I found out a couple of months ago. I didn't want to tell Victor over the phone, and can't wait to see the joy overcome him when I tell him he is about to be a father. 

It is one of his greatest desires, and I am glad I can fulfill it for him. 

Carrying on without his solid presence to see me through has been difficult, but luckily, I have Cassian, Victor's younger brother. 

He was a massive help during the early months of my pregnancy, through the morning sickness, binge eating, and late-night cravings. Victor would be so jealous that he missed all these, but I wanted him to concentrate on what he was doing. Nothing is more important to Victor than the company's success, which has been in his family for generations. 

  Victor called yesterday to inform me of his arrival today. Something was off during that call. He sounded cold and detached, and I felt as if I were speaking with a stranger. I tried to ask him if everything was alright, but he dismissed my concerns while scolding me for overthinking things, so I let it go. 

Despite Victor's assurance that everything is alright, I have been experiencing a sense of foreboding, which started right after the call. 

I tried talking to Liora, my best friend, but she attributed my worry to my pregnancy. I don't think it is, but I decided to be positive, since the two important people in my life seem to think I am overreacting. Hopefully, it is all for naught. 

  I need to get out of bed and see to the preparation for Victor's arrival. He will be arriving in the evening. My heart fluttered at the thought of my mate coming home. I can't wait to be again surrounded by his muscular frame and scent. Our bed has never felt so enormous as it has these past few months. 

  I pulled myself out of bed, straining a little. I am five months along, but my pregnancy journey has not been easy and has taken its toll on me. I am easily tired. 

I succeeded in getting out of bed, but the feel of the cold hardwood floor sent a shock to my system that got me more awake. 

 Our bedroom is an en-suite with its bathroom—a bathroom designed like that of the King. The Pack House, also known as Thorne Ridge, was built by Alpha Patrick, Victor's great-great-grandfather, one of the pioneers of the Nightshade Pack. 

During the Great War, a war between the Lycans and Werewolves as they fought for territories up North, Alpha Patrick, with a handful of other werewolves, migrated South to a town called Crimson Valley to start a Pack. 

   Crimson Valley was a small town with little civilization. Alpha Patrick, through his textile company, Miraweave, helped bring civilization to the town. Crimson Valley has ceased to be a backwater town and is a big town overflowing with civilization and modernization. 

   Miraweave is no longer a small-town company but a global company with an international reach. It employs over twenty thousand people, both humans and werewolves. 

  Victor is very traditional, and like the south of old, insists that his mate will not work, so I am a housewife, as humans would say, and I love it. I like taking care of Victor and the Pack. And when the little one in my belly graces us with his presence, my responsibilities will also expand. 

Despite my tumultuous pregnancy journey, I am looking forward to motherhood. My parents had the same kind of arrangement Victor and I have, and my mother had a fulfilling life taking care of me and my dad, though their life on this earth was cut short by tragedy. 

The Great War left many werewolves without parents or a Pack to call home, leaving them untethered and reeling. Their grief and anger drove them crazy, and they preferred to exist in their animal form rather than their human form. 

We call them rogues. 

With no home to call their own, rogues took to attacking other Packs and destroying the very thing they couldn't have. 

Our Pack fought through a high-scale attack from rogues, barely surviving the onslaught. The incident, which occurred five years ago, resulted in many casualties—my parents, Victor's parents, and many more. 

The loss of Victor's parents necessitated Victor taking the leadership mantle at eighteen instead of twenty-five when the next Alpha is usually crowned. 

Unlike Lycans, who believe in one person ruling over them until the person dies, we werewolves believe in young blood ruling. This keeps us growing and changing with the times, not sticking to traditions from many centuries ago. 

Despite most Werewolf Packs being autonomous, we still answer to the Lycans. They won the Great War, and as such, deemed us the lesser beings, and under their control. 

  There have been moments of rebellion from werewolves, but they have never amounted to anything because their current King, who has lived for a century, is a heartless monster known for his unfeeling heart and ruthlessness. 

  Tales of how he deals with those who try to rebel against his leadership strike fear in many. For years now, there has not been any uprising despite the malcontent of the wolves at being under the leadership of the Lycans. 

   I have never met the Lycan King and don't wish to. A man with such an appalling reputation, surely nothing good would ever come from meeting him. 

It is good that he never travels south and only sends delegates for his annual Pack tour and tribute collection. 

       I washed my face before returning to the bedroom to change into a loose, flowery gown that hid my growing belly. Even before getting pregnant, I had always preferred loose, form-fitting clothes. I was not comfortable in my skin, so I always chose clothing that hid my excess belly. 

After getting dressed, I brushed my hair until it shone and packed it into a loose ponytail. I am not that meticulous when it comes to my dress. I always go for comfort rather than fashion. A tight bun ponytail gives me a massive headache, so I don't wear my hair like that. 

Actually, I love to wear my hair free, but since I would be spending most of my time in the kitchen overseeing the making of the meals, it seemed practical to have my hair up. 

Thorne Ridge has three floors: The main floor contains living areas, the Kitchen, servant quarters, and entertaining spaces. 

The upper floor has most of the bedrooms, including the master suite. The lower level features the gym, training, and storage units, which the warriors and servants mainly used. 

The Estate boasts up to 11000 square feet of living space and is divided into East and West wings. Its central foyer has a high ceiling and a classic luxury layout with a polished marble floor.

A double grand staircase leads up to the upper floor. Our bedroom lies in the East wing.

Coming down the stairs, I heard giggling and looked down. A group of servant girls who were supposed to be cleaning were busy gossiping about some private tryst between a young girl in town and a boy who isn't her mate. Apparently after sleeping with the girl, the boy broadcasted the affair to the whole town painting the girl out to seem like a whore. 

Unfortunately, this is common in a town like ours, where people's businesses are easily everyone's businesses.  

I coughed to get the girls' attention. 

When they looked and saw me on the stairs, they scattered, hurrying to perform their task, but one didn't seem to be in a rush, acting like she didn't need to be afraid of anything. 

I have noticed the lofty attitude of this particular servant girl. I believe her name is Selina. The girl is not only arrogant but also rude. I tried to dismiss her, but Victor didn't think sending away a girl who had lost everything was nice. 

Like Victor and I, Selina lost her parents during the rogue attack when she was a young girl. She grew up in the Packhouse. 

I understand his point of view, but her attitude irritates me, especially her complete disregard for my authority. 

"Raven!"

 I snap out of my angry thoughts at the sound of Cassain's voice. Victor's brother, nineteen, is like the younger brother I never had. 

I smiled, my face lit up as I watched the tall young man head toward me. 

Selina, who is supposed to be cleaning the pillars of any dust or cobwebs, suddenly materialized before him and swooned.